Survivor List(last names beginning with "F")

Nearly 7,000 circus fans attended the afternoon show on July 6, 1944, and many were fortunate enough to survive the blaze. Here are the names of some of the survivors, and also the names of those who helped or are otherwise associated with the Hartford Circus Fire, though they may not have been in attendance during the tragic performance.

Names are sorted by "last name first"; in cases of women who got married after the circus fire, their name in 1944 is used when known. The search function at the top of the each page can also be used to search the entire website for a name or term.

HPD police officer, arrived at headquarters at 3:15 and was told to escort a Sage Allen truck loaded with stretchers to the circus grounds. Went to the back of the circus lot and stood guard over the bodies until they were all removed from the scene, and kept people off the grounds. Officer Felie was stung twice by a bee around 4:00pm and around 6:00pm his neck began to swell. He went to Municpal Hospital, and his next had swollen to twice its normal size. Doctor Brewer examined him, then sent him home to apply cold applications.

Femia, Betty A. (minor); 116 Crown St, Meriden

Awarded $3,000 by the arbitration board for injuries received in the fire.THC

Fernn, Mrs. Jeannette (48), Hartford

Mrs. Fernn was disaster nurse for Hartford Chapter of Red Cross, directing the Nursing Service to the victims of the Ringling Brothers Circus fire in 1944. (from 7/25/67 obituary)THC

Ferrante, Edna (adult); 97 East Barbour St, Wilson, CT

Attended the circus with children Irene and John Titus, and they sat in the southeast bleachers, 3rd or 4th row from the bottom. They entered thru the main entrance and walked along the south side to their seats. Edna first saw the fire to her left, opposite the first ring. She was one of the first to leave, exiting between the southeast bleachers and Section K. A smaller tent blocked their way out, they tripped on ropes that were interlocked from the small tent to the big top and became confused. Nobody in Edna's group was injured.

Ferraris, Mrs. G.; Glastonbury

Received a sprained ankle, recovering at home.THC

Festa, Margaret D. (28); Hartford

Margaret died peacefully at the age of 98, on April 6, 2014 in Plantsville, CT. She was a survivor of the Hartford Circus Fire, and her story was included in Stewart O'Nan's book.(from THC obituary)

Fienberg, Morris (adult)

Detective with the HPD, was on duty and detailed to the grounds with Sgt. William Dineen, Det. Fred Seraphin, and Arthur Peters. On the way to the scene they picked up Lt. Joseph Poirot and Off. Andrew Kusner. At the circus grounds, they all jumped out and ran to where the fire was raging and saw that the firemen were not able to get through the crowd of panicked people trying to run toward the fire. Detective Fienberg worked with others to force the crowd to the street, and he routed ambulances, emergency trucks, and ambulances to the scene. He helped secure the site after the fire, picked up lost children and turned them over to Sgt. Langrish, and picked up lost articles and collected them in pails, which were later taken to police headquarters.

Fistler, Charles M. (adult)

HPD officer, took children from the main floor of police headquarters and brought them upstairs to the court room and stayed with them. Officer Fistler took names, addresses and phone numbers and sent the information to the desk clerk. Around 6pm, the remaining children were transferred to the Brown School.

Fitch, Mrs. Minnie; Proctorville, Vermont

Was awarded $1,500 by the arbitration board for injuries received in the fire.THC

Fitzgerald, James W.; 381 Hillside Ave, Hartford

Was awarded $816.46 by the arbitration board for expenses.THC

Did James W. Fitzgerald (husband of Marian, father of James 2nd and David) attend the circus or was this award for expenses related to his family members?

Fitzgerald, Mrs. Marian Stenberg (39); 381 Hillside Ave, Hartford

aka Mrs. J. W. Fitzgerald

On the Injured List at Municipal Hospital, 7/7/44.THC

On the Injured List at Municipal Hospital, 7/10/44, critical condition.THC

Was awarded $33,183.54 by the arbitration board for injuries received in the fire.THC

Flamig, Evelyn Lucille (19), Granby

a.k.a. Evelyn (Flamig) Christensen. Was a nurse on duty at the circus fire. Passed away at home on February 26, 2013.

Flanders, Ermo (18); Belfast, ME

Was listed on the State War Council's list of "reliably reported missing" on 7/11/44.THC

Had been listed as missing, reported as found on 7/10/1944.TBP

Fletcher, Patricia (11); Hartford

Patricia (Fletcher) Dolecki, 81, of Terryville, widow of Walter Dolecki, passed away Sunday, January 19, 2014 at Sheriden Woods Health Care Center in Bristol, CT. Born on October 1, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Owen and Hazel (Clement) Fletcher. As a child, Patricia lived in a variety of foster homes throughout Connecticut, including The Village for Families and Children in Hartford, until her adoption at age 13 by the Fletchers. While living at The Village, Patricia attended and survived the July 6, 1944 Hartford Circus Fire. [obituary]

Flynn, Patricia (11); 41 Wall St, Middletown

Went to the circus with her father Thomas J. Flynn, and Joseph Pagerino and his daughter Christine Pagerino.

Flynn, Thomas J. (42); 41 Wall St, Middletown

Went to the circus with his daughter Patricia Flynn and Joseph Pagerino and his daughter Christine Pagerino. The group sat in the north grandstand, Section R, seats 9 thru 12. They went inside about 1:40 and walked around, it was very hot. The seats around them were filled by the time the show began. Thomas saw a small patch of fire break through the canvas sidewall of the tent about three feet down from the top of the wall, above the top row of bleachers in the southwest corner. The fire spread out fast as it hit the canvas roof. Mr. Flynn's group moved toward the middle exit in the middle of the north grandstand and the men jumped down with their daughters. The exit was full of people so they went under the grandstand seats and lifted a sidewall flap to get out. They walked alongside the ring of wagons that led to the midway and saw people and elephants being herded out to the street.

Foran, M. (adult)

HPD lieutenant, escorted a group of nurses and doctors from Middlesex Hospital in to help. Was also sent a group of auxiliary and regular policemen from New Britain and Bristol. Lt. Foran helped out around the hospital in any way possible, also helped remove five bodies to the morgue and about 50

Ford, Edwin (adult)

HPD officer, arrived at circus grounds at 2:50 and was stopped by a doctor who wanted him to stay and help him. Officer Ford made two trips to Municipal Hospital with injured people.

Ford, James; 313 Village St, Hartford

Was awarded $1,250 by the arbitration board for injuries received in the fire.THC

Forsten, Richard (minor); Lowell, Mass

Was awarded $3,000 by the arbitration board for injuries received in the fire.THC

Fortier, Ann; 298 Naubuc Ave, Glastonbury

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/7/44.THC

Foster, Jersey (64); Sarasota, FL & Missouri

Employed by RBBB circus as the assistant to Chief Electrician Edward Versteeg. When the fire broke out, Jersey was patrolling the power lines that feed the big top as he always does during performances, inside and outside of the tent. Everything was in good order that day, no shorts had happened. Jersey was on the south side of the big top, outside near the power plant wagons, walking toward the fire. He first saw it behind the southwest bleachers, on the canvas top, and the sidewalls were not burning. He, and 6 or 7 others workers, helped people escape by making a chute out of the sidewall canvas and telling people to jump. He then ran to the wagons to break the power lines, then gathered 30 or 40 women and children and led them to the Victory Gardens. Mr. Foster saw the 1942 Cleveland circus tent fire, and believed the Hartford fire burned faster, driven by the wind.

Franz, Richard (41); Jordan Lane, Wethersfield

Attended the circus with his wife, Theresa (Viering) Franz and son Richard Franz. They all survived.

Attended the circus with his father, Richard Franz, and his mother, Theresa (Viering) Franz. They all survived. Richard and his mother sat briefly with the Viering's in the reserved section, but moved to general seating before the fire started.

Franz, Theresa (Viering) (35); Jordan Lane, Wethersfield

Attended the circus with her husband, Richard Franz and son Richard Franz. They all survived. Mrs. Franz and her son sat briefly with the Viering's in the reserved section, but moved to general seating before the fire started.

Attended the circus with his mother Mrs. Charles J. Frey, both survived.

Friberg, G.W. (adult)

HPD officer, was on patrol when called to the fire scene. He saw several people with burned hands, faces and legs on Barbour Street, and made three trips to Municipal Hospital with four people each time. When he returned to the grounds, he went inside the big top area and helped pick up lost articles. Was later stationed at the main entrance area to keep people out who had no business being there.

Frost, Mrs. Charles (63); Station 37, South Windsor

On the Injured List at Municipal Hospital, 7/7/44.THC

Frost, Isla (62); South Windsor

On the Critical List at Hartford Hospital, 7/10/44.THC

Was awarded $8,800 by the arbitration board for injuries received in the fire.THC

Fryer, Karen (7); 63 White St, Hartford

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/7/44.THC

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/10/44.THC

Fryer, Katherine (36); 63 White St, Hartford

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/7/44.THC

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/10/44.THC

Fryer, Michael (3); 63 White St, Hartford

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/7/44.THC

On the Injured List at Hartford Hospital, 7/10/44.THC

Fulco, Dominic (11); Pleasant St., Hartford

Dominic and his younger brother were dropped off at the circus by their father. The boys sat in the bleachers. across from where the fire started. They followed an unknown man and his son down the back of the bleachers and under the tent.CFR

Fulco, unknown boy (8); Pleasant St., Hartford

Attended circus with older brother Dominic Fulco.CFR

Fulwood, C.G. (adult)

HPD officer, assisted in removing victims from the circus grounds.

Fyler, David (8); 398 Silas Dean Hwy, Wethersfield

Went to the circus with his mother Helen W. Fyler, and Mrs. Helen Kessler and her two children Stowell and Carol Kessler. The group sat in the southwest bleachers, and exited out the main entrance without any injuries.

Fyler, Helen W. (40); 398 Silas Dean Hwy, Wethersfield

Went to the circus with her son David, and Mrs. Helen Kessler and her two children Stowell and Carol Kessler. They arrived about 5 minutes before the show started, and sat to the right of the main entrance in the southwest bleachers, a little past the middle of the section and in the third or fourth row with the children in the row behind the mothers. The tent was very hot and they perspired quite freely. Helen heard a woman behind her cry out, and she turned and looked over her right shoulder and saw flames about 8 feet wide where the canvas sidewall met the tent top, behind the center part of the bleachers. She grabbed David and they were both pushed along by the crowd out the main entrance. They met up with Mrs. Kessler to the south of the main entrance, and later found Mrs. Kessler's children across the street with a group of children.